QUINNIPIAC WOMEN: Season ends with first round loss to Maryland

Quinnipiac guard Gillian Abshire, left, drives past Maryland forward Alyssa Thomas as she is screened by Quinnipiac forward Samantha Guastella during the second half of a first-round game in the women's NCAA college basketball tournament in College Park, Md., Saturday, March 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

COLLEGE PARK, Md.>> Lisa Lebak sat on the Quinnipiac bench and tried to suck the life out of her asthma inhaler.

The game was just 10 minutes old when the senior guard went to the sidelines for a burst of energy with her team holding onto a shocking seven-point lead. The Bobcats, making their first trip to the NCAA women's basketball tournament, were supposed to be fast fodder for Maryland, a former national champion. But Quinnipiac wasn't making things easy for the No. 4 seed.

The Bobcats hit six of nine shots in one stretch to take a 21-12 lead midway through the first half, but before they could get a proper fitting for their glass slippers, the Terrapins put a lid on the Quinnipiac basket and pulled away.

National Player of the Year finalist Alyssa Thomas scored 29 points and Maryland eliminated Quinnipiac 72-52 in the first round of the Bridgeport Regional on Saturday. Tianna Hawkins added 23 points as the Terps (25-7) advanced to the second round to play No. 5 seed Michigan State on Monday.

Advertisement

Felicia Barron led 13th-seeded Quinnipiac (30-3) with 13 points, but the Bobcats saw their 22-game winning streak and historic season come to an end.

"We played great. We played gritty," Quinnipiac coach Tricia Fabbri said. "There was a little bit of a lid on the bucket in the second half. We couldn't get any back-to-back baskets to gain any momentum."

Fabbri promised that the stage wouldn't be too big for her team. It wasn't, but the Terps certainly were. They disrupted any semblance of offense the Bobcats tried to run, especially after the break. Quinnipiac shot just 23 percent for the game and was 8-for-42 in the second half.

"If we had played against bodies like that all year long we would have been a little bit more prepared," Quinnipiac center Brittany McQuain said. "I couldn't be more proud, though, handling the challenge we just faced."

McQuain finished with six points and nine rebounds.

Trailing by nine, Maryland used its decided size advantage and went on a 15-2 run to take a 27-23 lead into the intermission. The Terps then put the game away starting the second half on a 14-3 spurt and led by as many as 26 points down the stretch.

Thomas took over in the second half. The reigning, two-time ACC Player of the Year had little problem dribbling right through the heart of the Bobcat defense. Her three-point play with 8:07 to play put Maryland ahead 56-36. Quinnipiac never got closer than 18 points the rest of the way.

Thomas did it all with a cocky smirk that seemed to say, 'You don't belong here.'

"I played AAU with two All-Americans," Lebak said. "It would have been nice if she wasn't as arrogant. But she's a great player, and she gave us trouble."

She gave them fits.

Frese said that Quinnipiac gave her team their best punch in the first half, but she told her team to stay relaxed.

"I had a sidebar with my coaches and told them to make sure the team stayed calm," Frese said. "I told them it was going to be a long game and we would wear them down with our size."

Frese also said that it was nice to have Thomas in her corner.

"It's nice to have her as your life vest," Frese said. "She makes a coach look good."

Said McQuain: "Being on the floor with talent like that, it's humbling. We did really well in the NEC not losing a game, and then we come here against a really good ACC team and it opened our eyes a little bit. We can do this again, and I have no doubt in my mind that being on a floor with them is surreal, but I know we can do this again."

Maryland improved to 14-1 at home as Quinnipiac's top two offensive threats couldn't get on track. Barron, the team's top scorer, missed her first dozen shots before hitting three straight 3-pointers when the game was well in hand.

She did rack up seven steals.

Martin, who rescued the Bobcats in their NEC semifinal win over Mount St. Mary's had a nightmarish outing. She was 1 of 8 shooting in the first half and then missed a bunny and had a turnover to start the second half. Maryland ran off six straight points in lightning fashion to open up a 33-23 lead. Martin finished 2-for-15 from the floor for just five points.

Ellen Cannon finished with nine points all during Quinnipiac's dreamy opening run. Lebak had a splendid career-capper with eight points and just three turnovers running the offense for half of the game.

"We did the university proud and they're going to win a lot of championships," Lebak said. "I'm teary-eyed that it's over, but I'm so proud to have played a part in it."